How do you think the first human settlement would be built? There are a lot of things that come to mind, but using urine to make your home in the moon plus some other ingredients would not ever come to your account, until now.
What Are You Talking About?
NASA and other space agencies, in a lack of better words, are obsessed with the idea of living in the moon. The whole thing sounds exciting and what better way to start thinking about settling there is what kind of materials would you use to build your settlement.
A team of international scientists who are working at the European Space Agency has looked into a solution as using urea, which is a component found in the urine together with lunar material to create a so-called "moon concrete."
How Would A Lunar Moon Made Out of Urine Look Like?
The team used a 3D printer to showcase what it would look like, cylinders made from moon regolith substitute combined with urea, this was reported by SINC or the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology when they released a statement last Friday.
The results seem promising. Using the 3D-printed tubes of the mixture "supported heavy weights and remained almost stable in shape," and also "Once heated to 80 degrees Celsius (170 degrees Fahrenheit), their resistance was also tested and even increased after eight freeze-thaw cycles like those on the moon."
The team was able to publish their findings in February in the Journal of Cleaner Production. The researchers still called for further study into just how well the material would hold the harsh conditions of the moon.
What Other Innovations for Recycling Materials Did Scientists Come Up With?
Scientists are already investigating other uses for the waste astronauts produce. Another team of researchers from Clemson University is looking into using yeast, urine, and carbon dioxide from the breath of astronauts' to the goal of making tools out of it. Also from Penn State, scientists found a way to turn feces and microbes into something edible, yes, you read that right.
Mark A. Blenner who is an assistant professor at Clemson's College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences had this to say, "If astronauts are going to make journeys that span several years, we'll need to find a way to reuse and recycle everything they bring with them,"
"Atom economy will become really important."
He also added, "a biological system that astronauts can awaken from a dormant state." This would make our settlers be more resourceful in using and finding ways to create tools for future use and more.
Regardless of what scientists come up with, the future space explorers and settlers will be the heralds of recycling and make Mother Earth proud that they would be doing their new moon and/or the planet an excellent service by taking care of the environment. An astronaut's home from urine certainly rocks!
